Obituary lovingly provided by the family.

Phyllis Lynn Chancellor, of Neosho, passed away on August 18, 2025, from metastatic endometrial cancer. She lived life to the fullest, forever brightening the day of those around her, whether decades-long friends or those she'd just met.

Born October 6, 1953, Phyllis grew up in Neosho and had many fond memories of small-town life. She graduated from Neosho High School, earned her bachelor's degree from Southwest Missouri State University, and later earned her Master's degree in Education from SMSU.

Phyllis taught generations of young people as an elementary and middle school teacher for more than three decades. Most of that time was in Neosho, where she taught special education, second grade, the gifted program, and English as a Second Language. She was beloved as a teacher and always went above and beyond for her students, regularly spending nights, weekends, and summers working to help them succeed. When former students saw her in town, they inevitably had huge smiles and hugs ready for her.

She did not slow down in retirement, but instead volunteered with numerous organizations: welcoming visitors at George Washington Carver National Monument, teaching English to those new to the country, serving as President of the McDonald County Historical Society, and building and maintaining hiking trails with the Ozark Trail Association, among many other volunteer projects.

She is survived by her son, Benjamin, his wife Renee, and their three daughters, of San Diego. Her granddaughters were the absolute light of her life and the reason she was able to hang on to life as long as she did. Despite the distance, they were blessed to have many adventures with Nana, from the big—like RV trips to National Parks and camping and hiking in numerous state parks—to the small—catching crawdads in the creek and lightning bugs in the yard, trick or treating in fun costumes, and shooting fireworks in the driveway on the Fourth—to the everyday—talking about school, completing jigsaw puzzles, constructing Lego, and playing with her cat. Their world is bigger and better because Nana was in it.

Survivors also include sisters Mary Anderson, of Tyler, Texas, and Nancy Adams, of Neosho, along with nieces and nephews Brad (Aimee) Brumit, Cindy Steele, Tracy (Joe) Berg, Scott Anderson, and Kelly Adams. She also leaves behind a plethora of close friends. She is predeceased by her parents—Arthur and Edith Chancellor—oldest sister Elaine Brumit, and niece Amy Adams.

In lieu of flowers and cards (truly, as we cannot care for extra objects right now), please consider donating to some of the organizations Phyllis regularly supported, including GYNCA, Saving Ukraine, Doctors Without Borders, and the World Food Program. Even better, honor her by talking to a stranger, calling an old friend, or just enjoying the warmth of the sunshine on your face.

Services will be at the Chapel of Memories, Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, MO, on Friday, September 26, at 11 A.M..

Services are under the personal care and direction of Clark Funeral Homes, Neosho, Missouri.